Willis Family Adventures

Posts tagged reflections

Hazelisms

March 6th, 2014 | |


Our sweet middle child has been growing fast! It has made me realize that I often overlook monuments in her life. She is the middle child after all – and I know what that is like! My own understand has caused me to empathize… with her and with my own parents. Life is crazy busy with three kids. So I’m going to take a minute here and reflect on my middle gift.

Things I always want to remember hearing her say:
“Hotowel” – hotel
“Hanitizer” – hand sanitizer
“Wiper towel” – paper towel
“Permanarker” – permanent marker
“zizzors” – scissors

Watching her heart grow closer to the Lord (while playing outside):

“Mom, the coolest thing JUST happened! I whistled! I just said ‘Lord, I want to whistle right now’ and I did! Watch this!”

“Ok God. Don’t put these spider webs anywhere! Just put them in outer space or something.” I have no idea where she gets her spider phobia from ;)

My sweet Hazel brings so much joy to our family! I’m sure there will be many more stories to document throughout the years :)

 

VBS and saying goodbye.

July 26th, 2011 | | | | |

It’s official. We have a big girl in our house. I honestly can not believe that Raven is old enough to have done this…but she went to her first vacation Bible school! I was hesitant because it was an evening VBS and evenings are so hard for us anyways, but it actually worked out really well! She absolutely loved it…and it probably helped that pretty much all of her friends were there too!

I’m really glad we ended up doing it! It was really a lot of fun for all of us!

On the sad note, though…after dropping Raven off one night…I came back to my car and saw this…

Shocked that this would happen across the street from the church while so many people were around dropping their kids off…I just couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought to myself, “ok, they took my purse. I’d better get on the phone and get this process started.” Then it hit me, my engagement ring was in my wallet. What ridiculous person leaves their engagement ring in their wallet…apparently I do. We had gone camping and I forgot to put it back on…and now I really miss it. I am very sad about it, stalking craigslist every day trying to find it. I think now, 2 weeks later, I have to say goodbye to it in order to keep my sanity.

Ultimately, God is good. He has been taking care of my family. He gave me great friends to comfort me when I walked up to this horrible sight. He has given me a fantastic husband…and there is no amount of sin in this world that can take away my love for him and my girls. I am loving God more now than I ever have before.

And after realizing what I had lost I got to go back inside the church and sing praises with my little big 3 year old. This song has become a favorite in our house!

http://youtu.be/lumwSIhrVy8

He’s wild, He’s wild, God is wild about us.
He’s wild, He’s wild, God is wild about us.
Its so amazing to think about God’s love,
The God of creation is looking out for us,
He knows us…
He hears us…
God is right here with us.
He’s wild, He’s wild, God is wild about us.
He’s wild, He’s wild, God is wild about us
God is great, He is awesome.
God is great, He is awesome.

I know that God is WILD about me…and He is looking out for me…and I am learning to trust Him and His plan for me (and for my ring) …and more importantly, His plan for my family.

This weekend will be our 5 year anniversary, and we are heading to Portland for a little R & R…

 

her voice

March 24th, 2011 | |

Every Tuesday morning, as long as everyone is healthy, we load up the car and head to Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). It has been an amazing time for me to be filled and to really know the Bible better. This year Raven is in her class and is learning so much. One of her favorite songs is:

“Good morning, God. This is your day. I am your child. Show me your way.”

She taught me this song, and I love it. I love how she is already teaching me more about what my relationship with God could be…and should be.

The group that I go to is all women, women ages 20 something to 70 or 80 something? Its a wide age range and I love it. We go to a young church and don’t see many grandmas or great-grandmas. There is so much to learn from older women that I often just don’t think about. As you may have guessed by now Bible study is very much on the formal side…which is pretty much the opposite of my church. At church we have bands with guitars and drums and newly written songs. At Bible study we have time constraints, participation rules…and hymns. I really do love the hymns. The way they sound. The memories that they raise up from deep within me…standing in the pew as a little girl trying to follow along with the harmonies as my mom dragged her fingernail across the page so I didn’t lose my place. As I get older I am now paying attention to the words more. They are actually pretty moving, and I’m surprised that it has taken myself this long to realize this. Praising God for His patience with me. :) Sometimes I just stand there and listen. It just gives me chills to hear a sanctuary full of women of all ages singing praises together and putting all differences aside. We literally can’t talk about where we go to church…there are things we must leave at the door…and I actually like it.

This past week we sang “When I Survey The Wonderful Cross” (listen here).

This is a classic. Its never really had any special meaning to me before, but I decided to just take a moment and listen. …and then I heard her. I heard Mom harmonizing in the song. I mean, I’m sure it was just the other women in the group singing her part, but I heard her. Or the memory of her. I’ve heard her voice a bit since she went to heaven…but every time I hear her, I get chills. I just know she is singing praises in heaven. I am embracing this brief moment in life where I feel close to her…where I still know her, and her voice. Its good to be living in the grace of our Heavenly Father!